Slayers 2 Tier List – Best Demon Arts, Breathing Styles, Weapons & Clans

Updated October 6, 2026 for V0.22: V0.2 is the balance pass that changes the current meta. Uzui replaces Kamado as my best overall Clan, Pyrokinesis moves ahead of Shockwave, Insect rises into A tier, Tamari becomes a real PvE option, and Tamayo joins S tier after a major stat buff. Tanto, Spear, Shotgun, Claws, and Gauntlets also received meaningful move changes. V0.21 and V0.22 focus on progression and Ouwigahara rather than further combat balance.

Looking for the best clans, Breathing Styles, Blood Demon Arts, weapons, and builds in Slayers 2? My current overall picks are Uzui for Clans, Wind for Breathing, and Pyrokinesis for Demon Arts. Firstlight Tanto remains the safest all-round Demon Slayer weapon, while Firstlight War Fans lead the Demon weapons. This Slayers 2 tier list brings all four metas together, including PvP, PvE, bossing, beginner choices, and practical Clan synergies.

Slayers 2 Tier List: Best Picks TL:DR

• Best overall Clan: Uzui. Musical Score now dodges a recorded skill for two seconds, returns sooner, and pairs with an 11-second Muscle draw. Kamado, Rengoku, Shinazugawa, Tamayo, Himejima, and Soyama complete S tier.
• Best overall Breathing Style: Wind. Mountain Wind now deals 30% more damage and held Whirlwind Cutter has hyper armor, adding safer commitment to the existing strict-stun and guard-pressure package. Flame remains the easier S-tier all-rounder.
• Best overall Blood Demon Art: Pyrokinesis. Lower Blood Tiles endlag and a 2.5-second opening-punch stun on V give its burst a more dependable start and finish. Shockwave remains the best reactive option, while Obi is the dedicated guard-pressure specialist.
• Best weapons: Firstlight Tanto remains my best all-round Demon Slayer weapon after a faster Z and a hyper-armored X with 35% more block damage. Firstlight War Fans still lead the Demon list, while Nightfall Claws remain the aggressive alternative despite losing the ability to start Z while stunned.

These are my current V0.22 rankings. I weigh realistic damage windows, combo reliability, guard pressure, mobility, defensive tools, resource costs, and synergy across PvE and PvP. Skill cooldowns remain global, every counter shares one timer, and V0.2 gives every counter a longer windup. Ranked now removes automatic out-of-combat healing, adds 20 seconds to Breathing and Demon Art Ultimates, and counts refinement bonuses at half strength. Those rules reward repeatable starters and native sustain without pretending Ranked-only nerfs apply everywhere else. Entries within a tier run strongest or broadest first.

What Is the Best Build in Slayers 2?

There is no single setup that wins every mode, but Shinazugawa + Wind + Firstlight Tanto remains my high-ceiling Slayer build, while Kamado + Pyrokinesis + Firstlight War Fans is my current all-round Demon setup. Soyama + Shockwave remains the better reactive alternative. Swap to a Nightfall weapon when you want more damage and the 0.5% Max Health bleed, or stay with Firstlight when block strength and Daybreak Guard matter more.

Build Goal	Recommended Setup	Why It Works
Best overall Slayer	Shinazugawa + Wind + Firstlight Tanto	Wind supplies strict-stun confirms and heavy guard pressure, Shinazugawa rewards the style directly, and Tanto gives the setup a fast, dependable weapon layer.
Best beginner Slayer	Rengoku + Flame + Volcanic Katana or Nightfall Katana	Flame is easier to confirm than Wind, works well in PvP and PvE, and scales naturally from its Mythic katana into a damage-focused endgame weapon.
Best Water specialist	Tomioka + Water + Nightfall Katana	Tidal Blood and Water's Clarity improve chase and Water damage, while Nightfall adds the offensive stats and bleed needed to finish longer fights.
Best defensive Slayer	Himejima + Stone + Firstlight Spear	Stone supplies guardbreaks, hyper armor, and counterplay, while Himejima and Firstlight turn the build into a durable bruiser that can survive failed trades.
Best overall Demon	Kamado + Pyrokinesis + Firstlight War Fans	Pyrokinesis now converts its V opener reliably and recovers faster after Blood Tiles, while Kamado and War Fans add sustain, defense, and a complete secondary moveset.
Best Demon pressure build	Shabana + Obi + Firstlight War Fans	Obi attacks guard from several angles, controls space with faster traps, and keeps its ultimate through interruption attempts. Shabana adds the strongest coordinated-team angle.
Best Demon bossing build	Kamado or Soyama + Pyrokinesis + Nightfall Claws	Pyrokinesis supplies the burst, Claws keep close-range pressure fast, and stronger Nightfall Bleed improves the payoff against expanded boss health pools.

These are starting points, not mandatory uniforms. A refined A-tier weapon that fits your confirms will outperform an unfinished S-tier craft, and a specialist Clan can beat Uzui when the entire kit is built around its intended style.

Slayers 2 Clans Tier List

Uzui is my early V0.2 pick for the best overall Clan. Musical Score now dodges a recorded skill for two seconds instead of taking the damage, and its cooldown falls from 56.25 to 42.19 seconds. Vital Draw’s Muscle result also lasts 11 seconds instead of six, giving the M1-dodge and fist-damage window enough time to matter. Kamado remains the best Demon Clan, but Headbutt no longer disables block and Combat Intuition converts stored damage at 0.07 rather than 0.1 in Ranked.

Tamayo joins S tier, while Kocho now leads A. Tamayo rises to 175 Max Health, 75 Max Stamina, 17% Additional Damage Factor, and +1 Damage Reduction, finally giving its heal, full cooldown reset, control, and debuffs a strong solo foundation. Kocho benefits from Insect’s higher Z scaling, stronger guard pressure, faster and longer C, cheaper held V, and stronger Ultimate. Tomioka remains an excellent Water specialist, but Water’s Ranked-only nerfs make its strongest conversions less universal.

All flat Clan health bonuses are 50% higher than at launch, and rolling or buying a new Clan keeps your Clan skill-tree progress. V0.2 also removes automatic out-of-combat healing in Ranked, so Tamayo’s ring, Kamado’s Regen Adrenal, Douma’s recovery, and other native sustain tools carry more practical weight there. For every skill, passive, stat, and reroll chance, see the full Slayers 2 Clans Tier List and check our Slayers 2 codes page before spending rolls.

Slayers 2 Breathing Styles Tier List

Wind remains my best overall Breathing recommendation in V0.22, with Flame completing S tier. Mountain Wind now deals 30% more damage, while held Whirlwind Cutter has hyper armor on top of its one-second strict stun. Wind still has the best high-skill mixture of confirmation, guard pressure, movement, and protected commitment. Flame remains the simpler all-rounder, and Flame Undulation’s release swing now turns a successful defensive read into a guardbreak.

Stone leads A, followed by Thunder, Insect, Water, and Sound. Stone’s Z, X, and C now deal 30% more damage to NPCs and bosses, while Z gains hyper armor in every mode. Thunder receives better Godspeed movement and stronger PvE damage, and Insect climbs from B after broad improvements to damage, block pressure, C range, V stamina efficiency, and Ultimate payoff. Water remains versatile but loses several Ranked conversions. Serpent falls to B because its slower V and narrower practical routes are now harder to justify beside the improved competition.

For individual evaluations, read our Slayers 2 Breathing Styles Tier List. Ready to learn a style? Our trainer and NPC locations guide covers where to go, while the Demon Slayer progression guide helps with the surrounding grind.

Slayers 2 Blood Demon Arts Tier List

Pyrokinesis is my best Blood Demon Art in the current V0.22 build, with Shockwave and Obi completing S tier. Blood Tiles has even less endlag, V’s opening punch now stuns for 2.5 seconds and confirms the heel slam, and Blood Rupture retains its improved pursuit. Shockwave remains the better reactive choice, although every counter has more windup and Compass Needle has a 16-second cooldown in Ranked. Obi keeps the strongest dedicated guard-pressure plan, and its grab now drops the target in place for a cleaner continuation.

Dream now leads A, followed by Ice, Reaper, Tamari, and Arrow. Dream’s Ultimate deals 20% more damage in every mode, while Tamari’s Z and X deal 40% more damage to NPCs and bosses, earning it an A-tier specialist role despite longer Ranked cooldowns. Ice regains full Ultimate guardbreaking against NPCs and bosses but receives several Ranked checks. Reaper’s Sonido Surge deals 20% more damage through its Fighting Style pairing. Blood Manipulation remains B, although its X finisher breaks NPC guards again.

For the full comparison, see our Slayers 2 Blood Demon Arts Tier List. You may also see these called Evil Arts in-game. Keep clan effects separate from the art itself: Shabana's party bonuses can support a Demon build, but they are not innate Blood Manipulation skills.

Slayers 2 Weapons Tier List

Weapons need two rankings because Demon Slayers and Demons do not chase the same endgame equipment. I rank the upgraded versions you actually build toward, using their current stat cards, passives, and complete movesets. V0.195 corrected four Firstlight weapons that had accidentally inherited Nightfall-style damage, while V0.2 changes several move properties on Tanto, Spear, Shotgun, Claws, and Gauntlets. The tier letters stay stable, but some of the reasons behind them have changed.

Best Demon Slayer Weapons

Firstlight Tanto remains the safest all-round Slayer recommendation in V0.22. Z starts 0.1 seconds faster, while X deals 35% more block damage and gains hyper armor at the cost of a 12-second cooldown instead of nine. Firstlight Spear’s Z is 0.15 seconds faster, and its X gains 50% more block damage plus hyper armor instead of i-frames. Lost Shotgun also improves: Z only performs its kick-and-slam sequence after the dash connects, X gains hyper armor, and each C hit scales at 64% instead of 44%. Nightfall Katana remains the pure-offense alternative, while Series effects still persist through Water’s major multi-hit skills.

Best Demon Weapons

Firstlight War Fans remain my best overall Demon weapon because the moveset still covers melee, range, AoE, and counterplay better than anything else. The universal counter-windup increase makes its successful-read requirement more important, but the complete range, blocking profile, and cooldown-reset payoff still earn S tier. Firstlight Bladed Wagasa keeps the second S-tier spot through mobility, crowd clearing, Sun Immunity, and defensive stats, although its reduced stun and guard pressure make it less reliable in serious PvP.

Nightfall Claws remain the strongest aggressive A-tier alternative. Tri-Claw Reversal can no longer start while stunned, but ordinary hits cannot interrupt it once the move is active, making it less of an escape and more of a committed armored punish. Nightfall Sickles stay A, Nightfall Scythe remains B, and Damascus Gauntlet remains C after a longer Z cooldown, shorter Z i-frames, blockable X dive, and a C that trades i-frames for hyper armor while returning four seconds later. Axe and Mace stays C despite Stone’s better PvE pairing. For full stats and acquisition details, see our Slayers 2 Weapon Tier List.

Best Slayers 2 Clan, Style, and Weapon Synergies

The table above gives the quickest build recommendations. These pairings explain where the strongest synergies come from and when a specialist setup is worth choosing over the safest all-round option:

• Water + Tomioka or Urokodaki: Tomioka remains the higher-ceiling specialist because Tidal Blood slows Water-hit targets by 20% for five seconds and each Water’s Clarity stack adds 5% Water damage. Ranked now shortens Water’s stuns, lowers C scaling, raises X’s cooldown, and replaces V i-frames with hyper armor, so Urokodaki remains the steadier progression and defensive option.
• Flame + Rengoku: The easiest S-tier Slayer recommendation. Faster Z and held V give Rengoku’s damage and burn package reliable openings, while Flame Undulation’s release swing now guardbreaks after a successful defensive read.
• Thunder + Agatsuma: Godspeed now moves at 65 instead of 50, and Z and X deal 25% more damage to NPCs and bosses. Ranked reduces Godspeed’s block damage and prevents it from catching during the first 0.2 seconds, so the build is stronger for pursuit and PvE without becoming a free opener.
• Wind + Shinazugawa: My current high-skill Slayer ceiling. Mountain Wind’s 30% damage buff and held Whirlwind Cutter’s hyper armor strengthen the two strict-stun routes, while Shinazugawa converts those openings into damage, movement, and stamina advantage.
• Sound + Uzui: Roar still breaks guards, Enhanced Hearing applies its 25% damage mark, and Musical Score now dodges the recorded skill for two seconds instead of taking the hit. Its cooldown falls to 42.19 seconds, while Vital Draw’s Muscle result lasts 11 seconds, making Uzui powerful even when the entire build is not leaning on Sound.
• Stone + Himejima: The strongest defensive Slayer and a much better bossing setup after V0.2. Stone Z gains hyper armor, while Z, X, and C deal 30% more damage to NPCs and bosses. The second-hit guardbreak and armored Ultimate preserve its PvP bruiser identity.
• Insect + Kocho / Serpent + Iguro: Kocho now amplifies an A-tier base kit with higher Z scaling, more Z and V block damage, a faster and longer C, cheaper held V stamina drain, and a 25% stronger Ultimate. Iguro remains a viable Serpent duelist, but the slower V startup and disabled Arena or Ranked death poison help push Serpent down to B.
• Pyrokinesis + Kamado / Shockwave + Soyama: Pyrokinesis is the cleaner all-round Demon pairing after its lower endlag and reliable V confirm, while Kamado adds sustain and broad stats despite its V0.2 nerfs. Shockwave remains the reactive specialist with Soyama, but longer counter windups and a 16-second Ranked Compass Needle cooldown demand prediction rather than panic activation.
• Obi or group Demon builds + Shabana: Obi is now the strongest pressure partner thanks to better guard damage, faster and stronger field traps, and an uninterruptible ultimate. Shabana’s zone and party passives remain excellent for coordinated teams. Blood Manipulation and Sickles are still a specialist route despite the new On Slaught PvE bonus.
• Tamayo + cooldown-heavy Demon builds: Pharmaceutical Skills restores 20% Max Health and resets every cooldown once per person. V0.2’s Health, Stamina, damage, and flat-reduction buffs turn that party reset into a legitimate S-tier hybrid tool instead of compensation for weak personal stats.
• General Slayer build + Firstlight Tanto: The safest universal weapon route for quick M1s, combo conversion, and excellent block stats. V0.2 speeds up Z and gives X more guard damage plus hyper armor, although the longer X cooldown makes a miss more expensive. Firstlight Spear remains the reach and AoE alternative.
• General Demon build + Firstlight War Fans, Bladed Wagasa, or Nightfall Claws: War Fans offer the most complete package and strongest blocking profile. Wagasa adds Sun Immunity, mobility, and crowd clearing. Nightfall Claws trade defense for damage, but Z can no longer be activated while stunned even though it resists interruption once active.
• Blood Manipulation + Nightfall Sickles: Still the required specialist pairing, but no longer a priority meta recommendation. On Slaught’s extra PvE scaling helps bosses, yet both halves retain major damage, block-pressure, or confirm-speed nerfs.

Should You Reroll or Keep Your Current Build?

Keep a useful A-tier option while you progress. If its bonuses support your chosen style, a reroll is not automatically an upgrade. Rolling or buying a new Clan keeps your Clan skill-tree progress, while resetting or swapping your Breathing, Evil Art, or Fighting Style refunds its skill points. Series crafting is cheaper than it was at launch, but a refined specialist that fits your kit can still outperform a nominally higher-tier piece you have barely upgraded. Chasing a famous surname and three half-built weapons remains an excellent way to become broke with lore.

For PvE, value repeatable damage, area coverage, and enough stamina to survive after the rotation ends. For PvP, distinguish strict stun from normal stun, i-frames from hyper armor, and a true guardbreak from ordinary guard damage. Ranked now disables automatic out-of-combat healing, adds 20 seconds to every Breathing and Demon Art Ultimate, and halves refinement bonuses. Every counter also has more windup in all modes. Native sustain and disciplined second rotations matter more, while two copies of the same accessory no longer stack to rescue a lopsided build.

Slayers 2 Tier List FAQ

That covers the current V0.22 all-in-one rankings. Wind, Pyrokinesis, and Uzui are my early category leaders after V0.2, while the weapon tiers remain stable with important move-level changes underneath them. V0.21 and V0.22 do not add further combat rebalancing, so more time is needed to settle the closest equal-refinement Ranked and bossing matchups. Use the individual Clan, Breathing, Demon Art, and weapon tier lists for complete move, stat, and matchup breakdowns, and visit our Slayers 2 guides hub for progression, NPC locations, and walkthroughs.